- KAN Projects -
Work of our Councillors, KAN Party, and the Network
“Each and every one of us can make changes in the way we live our lives and become part of the solution”
- Al Gore
What has KAN Achieved?
Stay updated on our latest progress…
Governance of Sustainability
We have thoroughly analysed the governance of sustainability at UM with a particular focus on the workings of the SUM 2030. This report was drafted by the KAN Party team in collaboration with alumni and staff members of UM to enable the most accurate assessment possible. In summary, fundamental structural changes of the SUM2030 are needed in order for it to fulfill its important role; the SUM2030’s capacity, decision-making, and transparency must improve. We always strive for collaborative approaches and constructive communication, which is why we have presented the report in the University Council. Consequently, our University Councillors met with members of the Taskforce in February 2021 to discuss the report’s critical points and next steps.
Student Housing
The quality and conditions of student housing influence not only academic performance, but also student wellbeing. We are helping students with getting access to their housing in the (legally) right conditions. We have established clear communication between students, housing policymakers and stakeholders with a significant emphasis on housing rights.
Ecosia at UM
In our vision for UM, we emphasise its role as an educational institution which brings forward social responsibility through education and research. However, social responsibility can - and should - also be implemented through socially responsible operations. That is why we proposed and successfully implemented Ecosia as a standard browser on all computers managed by the UM library. This includes Athena Desktop. We are now working on bringing Ecosia to all faculties’ computers so our searches will plant trees.
Mental Health
In the mental health project our UC member Freddy works closely together with the Wellbeing Team leaders on issues like writing the new strategy for UM and developing the offers at UM further.
UM Climate Letter
KAN Party’s Sustainability Governance project underlines our focus on analysing and engaging with current developments at UM when it comes to its social responsibility. With our focus on sustainability, we are genuinely concerned with the lack of a comprehensive sustainability strategy, of capacity in sustainability, and of accountability related to sustainability.
Strategic Programme of UM
UM drafts a strategic programme every four years, defining its focus for that time frame including aspects such as core values and aims. Since this Strategic Programme guides many processes on both central and faculty levels for four years, it is important to include students’ concerns. As a member of the University Council’s Strategy Committee, our KAN Party representative Freddy is working together with the Strategy Committee of the UC and the Executive Board on making the challenges in the 21st century, such as sustainability, and D&I, central themes with concrete and ambitious goals.
Faculty Action Plans
We want to come up with actionable plans and goals for faculties. From our conversations with the boards/management of faculties, we know that we cannot expect much by saying “something” needs to be done. We can push for change more effectively by coming up with a plan of what faculties can do (and ideally how they can do it) to become more sustainable.
DUO
Studying in Maastricht comes with all kinds of challenges, one of which is the financial cost of studying. Many students rely on study financing to afford their studies at UM. However, some of the “requirements” set out by DUO as conditions for receiving such study financing do not conform with EU law. We are working on raising awareness on students’ rights and on initiating structural changes in students’ treatment. Every student should be able to access the financial support assured by legal frameworks.
Diversity & Inclusivity
The KAN Party Team decisively steps in for diversity and inclusivity. We collaborate with the Diversity and Inclusivity Office on integrating diversity and inclusivity into faculties and central level policies. This is why we’re working on decolonising curricula at UM and actively engaging with students and student organisations regarding diversity and inclusivity.
Policy Statement in Favor of Divestment
In response to the campaign of the KAN organization Fossil Free, the Executive Board agreed to make a statement in favour of divesting and calling the pension fund ABP to divest. UC member Freddy is continuously following up on the progress of the draft with the coordinator of the Sustainable UM 2030 Taskforce and the Executive Board.
Education for the Future
We, the KAN Party team, hold that UM’s role as an educational institution gives it the responsibility to provide relevant and thorough education. We drafted our first programme-specific report on education for the future for MSP.
Health Symposium
We are already working on integrating challenges of the 21st century in curricula in several projects. However, we are also working on communicating some insights into education for the future outside of existing curricula. The KAN Party team is the driving force behind the Global Health Symposium in April. The 2-half-day symposium links global health with climate change and biodiversity loss and will end with a panel discussion on how these topics could be permanently integrated in the health curricula. After the symposium, this will be further worked on